Until the Rolls-Royce drove into the complex, Shen Zhiyi still felt a sense of unreality. She stealthily glanced at Pei Yu sitting beside her, who was resting his chin on his hand while browsing through documents on his computer, his jawline smooth and distinct, his posture lazy and relaxed.
Looking at this, it seemed like he planned to watch her move...
Sure enough, after the car stopped, Pei Yu also got out. He glanced at the newly decorated apartment building in front of him, his face expressionless.
He definitely had never lived in this kind of apartment complex where each floor housed several families.
Shen Zhiyi tried to stop him, "I just need to get a few clothes."
"Oh," Pei Yu said slowly, "you don't want me to go up."
"..." Although that was the intention, having him state it outright felt strange, as though he was being wronged.
Who would dare to wrong him?
Shen Zhiyi felt a bit helpless, "It's not that."
Although the complex was inhabited by artists, there was still the risk of being photographed, and besides, Shen Zhiyi felt there was really no need for Pei Yu to follow her up.
Pei Yu lifted his chin slightly, "Lead the way."
There weren't many people living in this building, and the privacy was somewhat lacking. They didn't encounter anyone on the way, but when Pei Yu entered Shen Zhiyi's one-bedroom, the space suddenly felt cramped.
Having few friends, Shen Zhiyi didn't even have tea for guests at her home, which made her a bit embarrassed, "Would you like some water?"
"Mhm."
Unlike Shen Zhiyi's constraint, Pei Yu appeared as comfortable as if he were in his own home, sitting down on the armchair without waiting for her invitation, and scanned the surroundings—it seemed there was no trace of outsiders.
Although it was called moving, for Shen Zhiyi, it was no different from a business trip. She had only taken daily necessities and clothes, and the whole process took less than ten minutes.
"Let's go."
Pei Yu stood up, and as he walked over, he casually took Shen Zhiyi's suitcase, his posture natural, which again made Shen Zhiyi pause.
"No need," she said somewhat flustered, "I can handle it myself."
"The third time," his soft and faintly reluctant tone lingered as Pei Yu stared at her, "This is the third time you've refused me today."
Shen Zhiyi was left speechless.
Falling a few steps behind, she looked up at the man's broad and erect back, and her impression of Pei Yu suddenly changed—although he was occasionally domineering and arrogant, he didn't seem as aloof as others she had met.
Arriving downstairs with the suitcase, Secretary Qin saw them from afar and sucked in a breath of cool air, quickly jogging up to take it over, glancing covertly at Shen Zhiyi, deeply aware of her unusual status in the boss's heart—not that it was strange for Pei Yu to carry a suitcase himself (though it was indeed the first time), but because Pei Yu had unprecedentedly not asked him to accompany upstairs.
He wanted some alone time with Miss Shen, understandably.
The Rolls-Royce started moving again, passing a black nanny van. Huo Heng, sitting inside, suddenly frowned.
"Wasn't that Shen Zhiyi who got in that car just now?"
He must not have seen wrong.
Agent Cheng Zikun turned around in surprise, "The Rolls-Royce just now?"
He appeared doubtful, "Impossible, the car model is rare nationwide, how could the person in that car be Shen Zhiyi?"
Huo Heng seemed to think of something and scoffed, "Why not?"
Of course, Shen Zhiyi couldn't possibly own that car, but she could know someone who did... He just knew there was a reason why Shen Zhiyi suddenly wanted to break up, abandoning her usual caring and gentle demeanor, it turns out she had found a wealthy backer!
No wonder she could be in Director Meng Fansheng's project, it turns out she had the right support and backing!
"Degeneracy."
Huo Heng disdained comment, yet never considered that if it were true, given Shen Zhiyi's looks, she would have had countless resources long ago. Why would she have had to wait until now?
The car drove out of the neighborhood, and Shen Zhiyi suddenly received a message from Huo Heng, a long text. She didn't even read it; she immediately deleted it and blocked him.
Considering her knowledge of Huo Heng, his sudden composition of a miniature essay meant it was guaranteed to be a pile of insincere nonsense.
"We're here."
Coming to Huating again, this English-style manor was managed meticulously. It was so large that one had to use a shuttle vehicle to get around, and Shen Zhiyi once again felt the urge to leave.
She felt wholly out of place here.
"Why aren't you walking?" Pei Yu looked back at her, pondered for a moment, and asked seriously, "Shall I carry you?"
There were still people around, and Secretary Qin was also present. Shen Zhiyi's cheeks flared up in heat as she quickly shook her head and hurried to catch up, terrified that Pei Yu might actually carry her; the mere thought was embarrassing.
Only a cooking Aunty and a female housekeeper were in the main house of the manor, other staff lived elsewhere. None of these people showed any surprise at Shen Zhiyi's arrival, but she still felt some stealthy glances on her.
However, what she was most concerned about now was another matter, "...Where am I staying?"
Although they had done the most intimate things, the thought of sharing a bed with him made Shen Zhiyi wish she could run away immediately.
Pei Yu raised his hand, pointing to the master bedroom, the room Shen Zhiyi had stayed in before. After enjoying the undisguised panic on her face, he leisurely shifted his pointing to the room next to the master bedroom, "There."
He actually wanted her to stay in the master bedroom, but that would make her even more uncomfortable. Having finally coaxed her back, Pei Yu didn't want to scare her away.
Shen Zhiyi breathed a sigh of relief, and seeing the faint pleasure in Pei Yu's eyes, she felt that he had already seen through her thoughts and was deliberately teasing her.
It was somewhat mean but much easier to get along with than she had initially thought.
Shen Zhiyi only brought a few clothes this time, and after opening the wardrobe in the spare bedroom, it was already packed full. It had clothes for all seasons, even accessories were all available.
"If you don't like them, tell the housekeeper and she will prepare more,"
Pei Yu leaned against the doorframe, seemingly still not quite satisfied with the now radically changed spare bedroom.
The housekeeper, who was the one who had previously brought clothes for Shen Zhiyi, nodded quietly beside them, "Miss Shen, is there anything else you need?"
"No, thanks," Shen Zhiyi shook her head and gave the housekeeper a friendly smile.
Preparing so many things must have been a hassle.
Pei Yu's expression suddenly turned cold, and he left for the master bedroom without a word.
His features, already inherently cool, appeared even more menacing when expressionless, clearly indicating his displeasure.
Shen Zhiyi was puzzled; why had he suddenly become unhappy?
Feeling a bit bewildered, she asked, "What's wrong with him?"
The housekeeper, looking unsurprised, said gently, "Mr. Pei is often unhappy. It's okay."
In her eyes, the fact that Pei Yu had been in a good mood for most of the day was already quite rare. She was used to the boss's low spirits; this was normal for him.
Is it okay?
Shen Zhiyi couldn't understand. Is it really 'okay' that a person frequently feels unhappy?
She recalled, and it seemed that this was the first time since knowing Pei Yu that he had shown such a bad mood. If he had always been like this, she would have just thought it was his nature, but now she couldn't help but to think about the reasons for his mood worsening.
The problem seemed to lie with her.